No team has done more with less in college football than the U.S. Naval Academy.
Faced with restrictions like no scholarships, high academic standards and a five-year military commitment following graduation, trying to field a competitive Division I football team can be a daunting task. But Navy football coach Paul Johnson has proven, on a consistent basis, it can be done.
The Midshipmen qualified for their fourth straight bowl game this season and will face a yet-to-be determined opponent from the Atlantic Coast Conference in the Meineke Car Care Bowl Dec. 30 in Charlotte, N.C. Early predictions say that opponent is Clemson. But there is a realistic chance that it could be Maryland.
Online Poll Using WebSurveyorMaryland vs. Navy proved a big hit among local fans last year when the state?s only two Division I-A programs drew 67,809 people to M&T Bank Stadium. The game lived up to the hype, as Navy proved it could play with the state?s flagship university by leading for most of the game before Terps quarterback Sam Hollenbach connected with Drew Weatherly with 1:01 remaining for a 23-20 Maryland victory.
Despite this classic football contest, there are some people out there ? including my colleague Matt Palmer, who wrote a column on it Wednesday ? who think Maryland should steer clear from a bowl contest against Navy, the rationale being Maryland has nothing to gain by playing an “inferior” Navy squad.
While coach Ralph Friedgen has done an outstanding job bringing credibility back to Maryland, the Terps are not in any position to look down on an opponent. This is a program that went 5-6 each of the last two years and, this year, secured half of the required six wins to become bowl-eligible by playing a non-conference schedule against football luminaries like William & Mary (3-8), Middle Tennessee State (7-5) and Florida International (0-11).
Hey, I?m thrilled that Maryland became the first team in two decades to beat Florida State and Miami in the same year. But in a handful of appearances on the national stage this season, they wilted under the pressure.
Whether it was falling behind, 28-0, in the first quarter at West Virginia or giving up 296 rushing yards in a 38-24 loss to Wake Forest with a ACC championship berth on the line, Maryland showed it?s not ready to be considered one of the nation?s elite.
Does Maryland have stronger, faster and more talented players than those at Navy? Yes. But that doesn?t mean the Terps are a better team. Navy?s disciplined approach and its hard-to-defend triple-option offense give the Mids a chance to win every week, especially at a neutral site.
Here?s the best part about this debate: It can be easily resolved if Maryland receives and accepts a bid to play in Charlotte. Whether Maryland is willing to take that risk is something that we?ll have to wait and see.
Ron Snyder is a staff writer for the Examiner. He can be reached at [email protected].
